Boss Agreement

In the Beast's Cave

After Xavier had returned to his cubicle, Michael approached Stephanie's and asked, calling her "girl," for the document she had just finished so he could review it. Stephanie nodded, barely able to breathe. When Michael left for his office, Stephanie couldn't believe that in just a few hours, that man, who was her boss, could make her so nervous.

"Do you want me to bring you a glass of water, dear?" Mary asked when she saw Stephanie's pale face and dilated gaze.

"I'm going to need a double tequila," Stephanie replied as she got up, after making sure to send the document copy to Michael. "If you have something like that, I would appreciate it."

"Ask him," Mary said with a knowing smile. "He'll probably serve it to you."

"Yes, you're right about that," Stephanie replied, "but it'll be over my dead body. Wish me luck."

"You're going to need more than luck, but if it helps, I wish you it," Mary replied.

Stephanie entered Michael's office, who was already sitting in his executive chair, facing away, admiring the view offered by the window of his office. When Stephanie was about to tell him that she had already sent him the document and was going to take a seat, she heard Michael's cellphone ring. She chose to stay standing and silent.

"Dayana, what a privilege to hear your voice at this hour!" Michael said, still facing away and apparently not realizing that Stephanie, his assistant, was in the office, unable to do anything to avoid listening to the conversation. "Tonight? No, I have nothing after nine."

Stephanie's gaze projected towards the enormous windows and soon got lost in the immensity of the city that seemed to offer itself at her feet, while Michael held a conversation with who should be his girlfriend, although at times they laughed and he spoke to her in a somewhat raised tone, as if she were more of a lover or one of those casual hookups.

"Don't wear that thong from last night again, please. You looked like a woman over sixty with that," Michael said, who seemed, or pretended, not to have noticed that Stephanie was there, standing, waiting to review the document. "I want to see you in something sexier today."

Stephanie thought about the convenience or not of clearing her throat and interrupting her boss's conversation, or at least making him aware that she was already there, listening to what, for her, were intimacies. Although, on the other hand, maybe Michael trusted that she wasn't there, or had forgotten that he had summoned her and believed he was alone, and that's why he spoke as if she didn't exist. But, when he realized that his assistant was there, how would he react? Stephanie began to break out in a cold sweat, not knowing what she should do.

"It's best if I leave," she said to herself when Michael made another comment about what he was willing to do to the bare abdomen of the woman on the other end of the line. "Yes, he must think I'm not here, that's why he talks that way, and if he finds out I'm listening, he'll surely fire me, after just a few hours of starting to work here. I have to leave without him seeing me and pretend, when he hangs up and sees me, that I just came in. Yes, I have to do that."

Convinced that it was best to slip away, Stephanie leaned forward, very slowly and trying not to make any noise, but when the movement she made, by squeezing her abdomen, made her nauseous.

"No, please, not now! I was doing so well! Please, baby, don't do this to mom!" Stephanie tried to straighten up to see if she could stop the feeling of nausea, but she couldn't. She was so scared that her back didn't respond, and now all she could do was move in the position she was in, crouched down, towards Michael's office door. She turned around and began to move, her right hand against her mouth and her left providing the balance she needed not to fall. She couldn't believe how far away Michael's office door was, and suddenly he burst out laughing, almost knocking Stephanie over.

"You're a little rascal, a bandit, and that's what I like most about you," said Michael, still on the phone.

Stephanie continued to try. She was only a few steps away from leaving, and although the nausea hadn't subsided, it hadn't worsened either. It was torture. When Stephanie reached out to grab the office door, she felt too much silence. When had Michael stopped laughing and talking? Was he still on the phone? It was too quiet. Scared, Stephanie turned around, in the ridiculous position she was in, crouched down with her right hand covering her mouth.

The first thing she saw when she turned around were Michael's little eyes, like two tiny pieces of burning coal, watching her. He was the devil himself on his throne, enjoying Stephanie's suffering as she burned in eternal fire.

"What the hell are you doing, girl?" Michael asked, with his hands resting on his mahogany desk.

Stephanie stood up and, despite the embarrassing situation, the nausea subsided.

"I thought you wanted privacy and I was about to leave, sir..."

"And why don't you leave like a normal person, girl? What were you doing there, crouched down like a lizard?"

"I... uh, that, no," Stephanie tried to disguise it and laughed at herself. "It's just that I saw something on the floor and I leaned down to pick it up, but..."

"Something on the floor? What thing? Come on, let me see it."

"Oh!" Stephanie turned around and looked at the immaculate carpet on the floor. "It's just that, no, I already picked it up..."

"That's why, girl. If you want to see what you picked up, please give it to me," demanded Michael, with his hand outstretched.

"It's just that... I swallowed it, sir."

"You swallowed it? Something that was on the floor, you swallowed it?" Michael asked, his face wrinkled in disgust.

"It was my gum... I dropped it, and that's why I picked it up before leaving."

Michael sighed, got up from his desk, and before Stephanie could take a step back, he was by her side, too close. His broad chest, like that of an Olympic swimmer, almost brushed Stephanie's face, and until that moment, she realized how tall Michael was. She heard him sniffing.

"It doesn't smell like gum, girl. Are you lying to me?"

Stephanie had all of Michael's immense body against hers, and now she was cornered against the closed door of the office. She only remembered being so close to a man once, the night she got pregnant. Now that she felt it again, she not only felt intimidated but also somewhat comfortable, although she couldn't believe that any woman could feel comfortable with a man like Michael so close, almost pressing her against his body.

"It's just that, I swallowed it, sir. That's why it doesn't smell like gum."

Stephanie felt that Michael was sniffing again and even got the impression that he seemed pleased with whatever he had smelled, although he only needed to also humiliate her for the perfume she was wearing. When Michael left, after what seemed like an eternity to Stephanie, she realized that she was not only numb but also trembling, although there was also a trace of a pleasurable feeling that she knew would take a while to forget.

"I'll review the document myself, girl," said Michael, already back at his desk. "Take the time to change your clothes because remember that you have until three o'clock to return with a suitable outfit for this firm."

"Yes, yes, sir..." said Stephanie, still unable to turn around and unable to take her eyes off Michael, even though he was giving her his back.

With her hands, Stephanie felt for the door handle and left as soon as she could open it. She felt like she was running away from a werewolf's cave, one that terrified her but also made her feel a delicious sense of danger.